As Figure A shows, evictions and filings across the Commonwealth are at their highest volume since the start of the pandemic, exceeding the first quarter of 2020 by almost 900 filings. Filings reached 88% of the 2019 total for the third quarter, translating to a difference of only 5,000 households receiving an unlawful detainer filing. While eviction judgements are still just half of their pre-pandemic numbers, filings are a leading indicator that suggest the next quarter could see a high number of families facing eviction.
Figure A: Eviction filings and judgments by quarter in Virginia, Q1 2019-Q3 2022
Regional Highlights of 2022’s third quarter include:
- The U.S. Census Pulse survey indicates almost 60% of Virginia renters have had their rents increase over the last 12 months. While FY 2023 Fair Market Rents for a two-bedroom unit in Charlottesville MSA, Richmond MSA, Virginia Beach MSA and Washington, D.C. MSA have increased by 11%, 12%, 11% and 3%, respectively, from FY 2022, more than half of Black renters have seen increases of greater than $100 per month.
- Eviction filings, eviction judgments and default judgments are rising statewide and in every region. Statewide filings increased by 86% between the second and third quarter, while judgements increased 47%.
- Eviction filings increased in the cities of Richmond (105%), Chesapeake (123%), Newport News (135%), Norfolk (102%), Virginia Beach (145%), Fairfax (158%) and Charlotesville (153%). Eviction judgments increased in the cities of Richmond (119%), Chesapeake (107%) and Newport News (105%).
- Eviction filings and judgements remain below pre-pandemic levels, but they are rising precipitously across all areas of the Commonwealth. Eviction filings have risen to exceed their pre-pandemic levels in Chesterfield, Petersburg, Hampton, Virginia Beach and Alexandria by 6%, 4%, 7%, 8% and 1%, respectively.
- In the City of Richmond, eviction filings and judgments are also rising precipitously, with eviction filings exceeding their pre-pandemic levels in the ZIP codes of 23219, 23220, 23221, 23230 and 23235 by 106%, 13%, 43%, 8% and 78%, respectively.
- Half of all eviction judgments originated with just 15 landlords in the city of Richmond.
While the Commonwealth responded strongly to the COVID-19 pandemic with rental assistance and protections, these policies ended in the second quarter of 2022. Although the number of evictions remains lower than pre-pandemic levels in the majority of regions and cities, both eviction filings and eviction judgments have steadily increased since the Spring of 2021. Further, due to a lag in the data from the General District Court website, we anticipate that many of these totals will exceed the pre-pandemic numbers. This report should raise alarms about the potential for high levels of housing instability through both formal and informal evictions for Virginia families this winter.
